


The Cat and The Moon

by LostintheFandom



Series: Barduil Secret Santa [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Barduil Secret Santa Back up Plan, I know that is not the story that the song tells, It can also be interpreted as Having Angbang in it but it doesn't have to, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 20:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5470322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostintheFandom/pseuds/LostintheFandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is time for the Powers of Arda to create the world anew and thus all there ever was was unsung and unmade. To be made again. One Vala remembered the past and a love that withstood the corrosiveness of evil and brought it back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cat and The Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brimstone-and-company (Tumblr)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=brimstone-and-company+%28Tumblr%29).



It had been many years since the reign of Elves, then Men, then Hobbits. The world had changed much and much peril, and grief, and sorrow, and joy, and splendour had passed. T’was in long time passed that the world was brought to an end, once all souls and spirits returned to whence they’d come and Arda was erased. As were all deeds of all Ainur and creature. All was undone, unmade and unsung. To be made once more.

Fresh of mind and thought the Children of Eru sung once more. Twice more. Thrice more. All were harmonious and no discord parted the splendour of their melody, for even Melkor had been cleared of his actions and he, for all his power as He who Arises in Might, remembered. He remembered his deeds against his fellows and sought to redo them not.

Together they wove a world new and wondrous. Memory lingered, but of course of the previous Children, memory subtly woven into melody by Melkor himself, for he wished to see how it would have been had he not done what he had. Yet among all the voices his melody was slightly bent, slightly misheard, for so gentle was its sound. Thus song became vision and thought and with it in mind the Ainur set out to recreate the world. And in its creation Melkor aided his brethren and earned their favour and trust, and in his actions Manwe gifted him a seat of equal rule. Even Varda he’d been un-resentful of, for he’d asked for her allegiance not this time.

T’was in this new world that Eldar dwelt once more and men followed them (Melkor remembered whispers of love between men and elves and against the will of the others granted men a life longer, eternal, if be their discovered lover elven), and dwarves were made again, and hobbits, and eagles. But the races, bar the eagles, had something different about them this time around, the song of their creation mixed with another. Each bore a part of a different creature deep within their souls and minds and to the astonishment of the Valar they learnt to change their skins and take shape of what resided within.

The elves again took to the woodlands, taking shape of elk, and deer, and woodland steed, fast and flighty weaving past trees and gnarled roots. Dwarves took to sturdy ibex, and mountain goat, occasionally leopards and foxes, climbing high and deep into mountains and caverns, seeking that over which Aule reigned. Hobbits took well to burrowing creatures, mainly rabbits or hares, residing under hills in the Shire. Men took to heavy steeds, wolves, hounds and oxen, all hard workers with strong wills and steady feet.

Unlike in the previous Time, the races strayed from each other, avoiding the others’ presence. It was likely due to the instincts of the creatures within, telling them to keep to their own. It caused strife and skirmish to occur often. Especially between elves and dwarves for resentment lingered and horns and antlers butted. Men remained neutral, neither needing nor offering aid, lest asked. Men were wiser in this Time, not wiser than elves but wiser than the men Before. Yet wisdom prevents not rebellion, but often sparks it.

Thus one young man strayed from his own. To the woods wherein dwelt the elves in their many forms. Men had seldom seen elves and spoken with elves and Bard was curious. It was quite a coincidence for the same soul to grace a body of equal appearance. But Bard stood out amongst his own he was neither a heavy steed, nor a wolf, or a hound or an ox. Bard had been born with a creature seldom seen in these parts. A lynx.

With large, wide paws, and tipped ears, and a short tail, he carefully stepped into the enormous woodland that bordered men’s land. It had been larger once, the land of the men, but Time had repeated itself and dwarves in the will of Aule became greedy once more and piled gold and gold more and attracted a terrible beast. A dragon, yet again a creation of Melkor but the Vala had intended not for this to happen, for Smaug had been overlooked by him in the previous Time and had been born again as he’d been before. Smaug brought sorrow, and destruction, and desolation with his coming. Though despite the calamity, men proved strong and pulled through the disaster, now occupying the open plains and grasslands.

Nightfall claimed the sky and Varda painted it, though it was hidden from Bard as he pushed through the underbrush of the woodland. Every new sight, sound and smell demanded his immediate attention and he gave it willingly, time flew by idly and he noticed it not. So in his curious exploration he was interrupted by the presence of another.

In a clearing, atop a rocky hill and before the silver moon stood a white stag so radiant he could have been the moon himself. The great cat stared up at the stag, green eyes glinting curiously as the fair being tilted its head. Cautious steps were taken as the two who were meant to stray came closer. The stag towered above the brown cat as from where it stood the moon shone through its great crown. Pale and tan skin clashed as green eyes met pale, enthralling blue, as man stood before elf without a hint of weariness or distrust.

Thranduil, Prince of the Great Woods and Bard, Prince of the Men of the Plains. They’d found each other again though they knew it not. Together they sang a song of their own, for despite not meeting before in this Time, they felt it. They felt the pull and answered it.

Time and again they met upon the same clearing at the same time. They traded word and knowledge, each culture and tradition as fascinating as the other. Unto them the Valar smiled, for they’d long seen the tension between their Children and long not even Manwe knew how to right it for Eru would give not a word of advice. Most of all them delighted Melkor, for it was he who’d given the man a strike of rebellion and it was Mairon, who’d he’d sought out among the Maiar and reminded not of Before, that’d given the elf a dash of wonder.

Thus it was that the love between two souls that lasted through destruction and re-creation brought them together once more. Through pain and through suffering, through joy and happiness and through sorrow and splendour once more.

_Two lovers met that night,_

_Bathed in soft moonlight._

_And unto their peoples they spoke lie upon lie,_

_If only to meet once more in the night sky._

_Discovered, they were met with scorn,_

_Though turned it they into a rose’s thorn._

_Their love was called a Leaf of Gold,_

_For the peoples believed not that it would hold._

_And thought falsely was their love to fail soon,_

_Yet ever unfolded the tale of The Cat and the Moon._


End file.
